Set Fire to the Rain
by MsPati
Summary: This is the story of Fiona Dursley – Dudley's twin sister who has nothing in common with the rest of her muggle family. Including the fact that she belongs in the wizarding world – just like her cousin Harry.
1. Chapter 1: If the Stars Were Mine

**Hey everyone,**

**thanks for considering this little story readable, even though the summary is pretty crappy.**

**Well, I'm also still looking for a beta reader, so if you're interested – just send me a message. I'd be really grateful if somebody would take that job because English is not my first language and I'm somewhat afraid to make mistakes that will make native speakers want to bang their heads against the wall … or something equally painful.**

**Anyway, this might not be my first fanfiction in general, however, it's my first fic in the Harry Potter Universe. So if you find any mistakes – tell me. I want to make this as good as possible, so I'm always thankful for help :)**

**This is the story of Blossom Fiona Dursley – Dudley's twin sister that has absolutely nothing in common with the rest of her muggle family. Including the fact that she belongs in the wizarding world – just like her cousin Harry. **

**Eventually, this will become a Fred Weasley / OC story, but not all too soon. But you have been warned ;) In case you were wondering what to expect of Fiona in the looks department (being Dudley's twin and all) they are non-identical twins. I don't want to make my OC suffer, after all. While writing, I imagined Molly C. Quinn as Fiona (once they reach the teens).**

**Rated T for later chapters.**

**Since I'm obsessed with music, prepare yourself for songs mentioned and lyrics inserted in the chapters. **

**Sadly, I own nothing, except Fiona of course. But everything else belongs to the genius that is J.K. Rowling.**

**The song lyrics are from Melody Gardot's "If the Stars Were Mine".**

**But now on with the story! Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter One: If the Stars Were Mine<strong>

"Duddy, Blossom-honey, wake up! It's your birthday!"

Now eleven-year old Blossom Fiona Dursley groaned when she heard her mother call for her. How many more times would she have to tell her that she hated that name and wanted to be called Fiona? Was it really that hard to understand?

She pushed her covers off and slowly got out of bed. While Fiona was still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she already heard something that resembled a stampede of elephants – no doubt her twin brother Dudley running downstairs because he couldn't wait to open his birthday presents.

Fiona sighed. She had nothing in common with her twin. Not that she minded. Nobody believed that they were actually twins. While Dudley lacked a neck and his height and width were nearly the same, Fiona was blessed with a slender built. Her long hair nearly reached her elbows and fell down her back in slight waves, curling at the end. But what stood out most was the bright red color. Her grandma Evans had had red hair, her deceased aunt Lily – and now Fiona.

"Blossom, darling, are you up?"

Another sigh came out of the ginger haired girl.

"I'm coming, mum," she answered while stepping into her slippers to go downstairs and get the inevitable over with.

She didn't even manage to get to the living room. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug from her mother that made it difficult for Fiona to breathe.

"Happy birthday, my sweet babygirl!" Petunia gushed and Fiona couldn't resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"Thanks, mum," Fiona managed to get out. She took a deep breath when Petunia finally released her again. "Where's Dudley?"

Her question was answered when she heard shouting from the living room. "That's the wrong colour! I wanted a blue skateboard!"

The girl bit her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing. What would her brother possibly need a skateboard for? He barely moved unless he really had to as it was. Special occasions that involved presents were a different story, of course.

"Why don't you go in there and open your presents, darling?" Petunia all but pushed Fiona into the living room. It wasn't hard to tell which presents were hers. After all, they were wrapped in screaming pink paper that made Fionas eyes hurt.

When she saw the pile of presents, her stomach clenched. She didn't want all this stuff, she already knew that. While her brother might be happy to be showered with gifts, Fiona would rather like only one present that actually meant something. Without even opening one present, she already knew what was inside. Clothes, dolls, stuffed animals and a whole load of more useless stuff.

The small girl sat down and started opening her present. She faked a smile with every useless item she unwrapped, not wanting to disappoint her parents who were watching her and Dudley eagerly. Her cheeks hurt from smiling when she was finally finished and it was time for breakfast.

Once Fiona entered the kitchen, she lost her appetite. Her cousin Harry had been slaving away in the kitchen while she sat in the living room, unwrapping presents she didn't even want. And now, her mother, his aunt, had the nerve to criticise him for not working fast enough? At that moment, eleven-year old Blossom Fiona Dursley felt ashamed for her mother.

_I would never let the sun forget to shine upon your face  
>so when others would have rain clouds you'd have only sunny days<br>If the stars were mine  
>I'd tell you what I'd do<br>I'd put the stars right in a jar and give 'em all to you _

Fiona had always felt closer to Harry than to Dudley. Her brother was loud, obnoxious, rude, arrogant and ungrateful. In other words: just like her father, as much as Fiona hated to admit that. Harry was shy and gentle. She always felt loved and cared for when she spent time with her cousin, a feeling that was never there when Dudley was around.

After breakfast was over and Dudley had a fit that there weren't enough presents, her parents left with him to buy Dudley even more stuff. He was already spoiled rotten, but neither Petunia nor Vernon Dursley seemed to care. Fiona already knew that it would also result in another doll for herself, so she wouldn't feel left out. Like she needed any more. Her room looked like a doll museum as it was.

"Here, let me help," she said when Harry started to clean the dishes.

"No, don't. It's your birthday. Aunt Petunia would lock me in the cupboard if she found out that you helped," Harry denied, shaking his head.

"Well, I'm not going to tell her. And unless you do, she won't find out. Now give me that dish towel," Fiona replied and snatched the piece of cloth out of her cousins hands before he could say another word.

Fiona had no idea that the same morning, her father had burned a letter addressed to her from a school called Hogwarts. And it wasn't until a month later in a small cottage on a rock in the middle of the sea that she finally got a copy of that letter from a huge man that introduced himself to Harry and her as Rubeus Hagrid.

That day, Fiona got her real birthday present: seeing her twin with the pig's tail he had lacked for eleven years. Seeing her cousin getting a cake for the first time for his birthday only made that night even better.

She was caught in a trance, dreaming about that school that taught magic that she was supposed to attend – until she heard her father bellow how he wouldn't pay for this nonsense. Fiona's eyes grew wide.

"Daddy! Please! I want to go to Hogwarts!" She pleaded.

"There is no such thing as magic!" He snarled, his face a deep scarlet red.

"Then how do you explain Dudley's newest addition? Daddy, please!" Fiona had never asked for anything before. She had been given countless things, but this, going to Hogwarts, was something she really wanted.

"Vernon," Petunia whimpered while pulling a howling Dudley close to her chest. "You … you can't keep her from going. There's no way to avoid this."

Fiona looked at her mother like she had just seen her for the first time. Petunia Dursley, the voice of reason? That was certainly new.

Vernon Dursley threw a nasty glare at his daughter, nephew and Hagrid before leaving the room, making sure to slam the door behind him, which made Fiona jump. She had never seen her father this mad before and it scared her.

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><p><em>*<em>_I would never let the sun forget to shine upon your face_*

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><p>The next day, Hagrid took Harry and Fiona to Diagon Alley. The girl was too preoccupied with taking in her surroundings to listen to the conversation going on next to her. This place was incredible. People in robes bustled along, she could hear laughing as well as the hooting of owls from a shop they passed.<p>

"Fiona?"

She was brought back to reality when Harry addressed her.

"Sorry, did you say something? I was ..."

"Staring off into space, I noticed. I asked if Uncle Vernon gave you any money before we left."

Fiona shook her head. "No. He refused to support … well, this. Mum gave me a few pounds, though."

"They ain't of no use here. We need ter get yeh ter Gringotts ter change that muggle money," Hagrid said.

"What's Gringotts?" Fiona asked, but then a tall, white building caught her eye. Obviously, Gringotts was a bank. For wizards.

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><p><em>*I'd put the stars right in a jar and give 'em all to you*<em>

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><p>"Harry, no! I can't let you do that!" Fiona shook her head and sent her red hair flying. She couldn't believe that her cousin wanted to buy her a pet owl.<p>

It was their last stop in Diagon Alley. Getting her wand had definitely creeped Fiona out. Or maybe it was just the owner of that shop, Mister Ollivander. After trying several wands, he had given her the right one – for her, that was. Now she called a wand made of rosewood her own. Ten inches, unicorn hair core. Getting pinched a couple of times while getting her robes had been a piece of cake in comparison.

"Please. I never gave you anything for your birthday. I want to make it up! Now that I finally can."

Fiona shook her head again. "No, Harry. Who would I write to, anyway? It's not like I know any wizards except you. And I doubt that mum and dad would like me to send them any mail via owl."

"You'll make friends in Hogwarts. Friends who are wizards. You'll want to write them. Now come on, pick one, or I'll have to choose for you." Harry made it clear that he wouldn't argue about this topic. He was set to give his cousin a gift.

Fiona had always been the only one that hadn't made him feel left out. Like he actually belonged somewhere. Had some family left, even though his parents were dead. And he'd be forever grateful for that. Buying her an owl after discovering that he had a vault full of gold at Gringotts was the least he could do.

"Fine. But for the protocol: You don't need to buy me anything, Harry," she sighed, admitting defeat. After that, she started looking around Eeylops Owl Emporium. Fiona stopped in front of a Striped Owl that looked at her curiously, it's head turned nearly 90 degrees to the left. It had large ear tufts and a brownish-white facial disk with a black frame that made the white colour stand out even more. Its upper parts were cinnamon with heavy black stripes, while its underparts were a pale tawny colour with dusky streaks. Another, slightly bigger Striped Owl was sitting in the cage next to it, however, this one still stared right at Fiona.

"Harry? I found my owl," she said, not looking away from the bird inside the cage in front of her.

After paying for the animal and Harry getting his own owl as a present from Hagrid, they walked out of Eeylops.

"So, what are you going to call her?" Harry asked, making sure no to shake his owl Hedwig too much as they walked.

"I don't know. What about … Juliet? Wait, too random. Neko? No ..." Fiona paused, thinking. Finally, a smile spread across her face, lightening up her blue eyes. "I've got it. Joy."

The owl hooted as if agreeing to its new name. Fiona took it as a sign and nodded. "The owl has spoken. Joy it is, then."

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><p><strong>So, that was the first chapter. Good, bad? Please tell me!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2: Rabbit Heart

**Hello everyone,**

**I'm glad that my first attempt at writing a Potter fic didn't seem to suck as bad as I feared. So thanks for the feedback and keep it coming! I'm always glad to hear (or read) what you think about the chapter, the characters and so on. Also feel free to tell me if you have any ideas for future chapters, I'll see what I can do to include them. If you feel like something's missing, feedback is greatly appreciated, too!**

**But now, without further ado, on with the story!**

**The song lyrics are from Starsailor's "Jeremiah" and Florence & the Machine's "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)"**

**Chapter 2: Rabbit Heart**

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><p><em>Dear Diary,<em>

_tomorrow, Harry and I are leaving Privet Drive to go to Hogwarts. I'm so excited! I still can't believe that this is really happening.  
>Harry being a wizard – sure, it's only logical after what Hagrid told him – or rather, us – about my aunt Lily and my uncle James.<br>But me? With my muggle parents? It just seems so weird. And why doesn't Dudley have any magical abilities? I mean, he's my twin, like it or not. And I don't, but that's nothing new. It just seems weird, you know?_

_I've always dreamed of going to boarding school, simply because I hate Dudley's friends. How they treat Harry. Well, how Dudley tells them to treat Harry, really._  
><em>And now, I'm actually leaving. Going to what you could just as well call boarding school. Just of a kind that I would have never imagined.<em>

_But, you know, I'm also kind of scared to go. What about all the kids that grew up surrounded by magic? Won't they think that I don't belong there? Will they accept me or just mock me … or even pity me, because I still have no idea what to expect or this new world I'm going to enter?  
>I know that Harry feels the same, but … he won't have trouble finding his place at Hogwarts, I'm sure. Because apparently, my cousin is a celebrity in the wizarding world. Celebrities always find people who help them.<em>

_But I also know that he won't abandon me. He's not self-absorbed enough to do that. Dudley, sure, he'd drop me in a heartbeat if he felt that he'd gain something by it.  
>Not Harry, though, he<em>

A gentle knock on the door stopped Fiona from finishing her sentence. She looked at the clock on her bedside table. It wasn't past her bedtime yet.

"Come in," she said, wondering what Harry wanted. He was the only one who bothered to knock, everybody else just waltzed into her room.

What surprised Fiona all the more was that instead of Harry, her mother entered the room, closing the door behind her. After Fiona and Harry had been to Diagon Alley, her parents had avoided both of the like the plague. And while Fiona kept her head held high, it still hurt her to be treated like that by her own parents.

_Went off to another land this evening  
>For to find some inner peace<br>And to see a better way of living _

The girl looked at her mother expectantly, waiting for her to say something.

Petunia crossed the room and sat down on the side of her daughters bed, careful not to touch her.

"I don't want you to go to that school," she finally said.

Fiona couldn't believe it. First, she treated her like a stranger and now that she finally came her, she told her to stay instead of going to the place she was supposed to?

"You said that you couldn't keep me from going to Hogwarts. You even told Daddy!"

"I know what I said. But I still don't _want_ you to go there … even though I can't keep you here. They'd come to get you if I tried." Petunia looked down at her hands, her expression unreadable.

Fiona put her diary on the bedside table and scooted closer to her mother. Almost tentatively, she put her hand on her mothers'.

"What is it, mum? What are you trying to tell me?"

Petunia looked up and Fiona had to bite her bottom lip to suppress a gasp. She had never seen her mother so … emotional. Petunia Dursley had tears in her eyes while she looked at her daughter. Her daughter that reminded her so much of her sister Lily since she got accepted into Hogwarts.

"I don't want to lose you," she finally whispered, almost to quietly for Fiona to hear. "I already lost a sister to that world. I don't want to lose my daughter to it, as well."

Fiona had never heard her mother talk about her aunt Lily like that before. Normally, it was just badmouthing her and Harry's father James. Fiona always thought that her mother had despised Lily Potter. Had she been wrong? Did her mother actually miss her sister? Then why didn't she treat Harry better, the only reminder of Lily? Fiona wanted to ask her mother all this, but she had a feeling that she wouldn't get the answers she wanted.

"You won't lose me. I promise," Fiona said instead.

Before she could even blink, she was pulled into another bone-crushing hug from her mother, but this time, the ginger haired girl didn't mind. She didn't try to pull away like she normally did.

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><p><em>* and everytime I see the sun go down I think of you *<em>

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><p>"I can't believe they didn't even come with us to see you off. They won't see you again until Christmas!"<p>

Fiona sighed quietly as Harry ranted on about her parents' behaviour. Vernon Dursley had all but kicked the two kids out of the car as soon as the vehicle had stopped in front of King's Cross. Now they were trying to find their way to Platform 9 ¾. Which was easier said than done, as they soon realised, while struggling with all their luggage plus two unhappy owls that attracted unwanted attention.

"They won't see me on Christmas, either. Dad doesn't want me to come home."

"What? You're joking!"

The ginger haired girl shook her head. "You've seen the way he's been since we found out about Hogwarts. Do you really think I'm joking?"

"Well ..." Harry started, but stopped himself. Fiona did have a point there.

"It doesn't matter. Hopefully by the end of the school year, he'll be back to normal. I mean, he can't keep treating me like that, right? I'm still his daughter!"

The kids had arrived between the platforms nine and ten and looked around helplessly. Harry decided to ask a passing guard … to no avail. They were close to giving up hope when a family passed by them and they heard someone mention muggles. Fiona and Harry looked at each other, eyes wide as saucers, and decided in silent conversation to follow these people.

A few minutes later, they were on Platform 9 ¾ and two boys helped them get their trunks on the train. Fiona decided to leave when the boys – members of the family she and Harry had followed – recognised Harry. She found an empty compartment, but was soon joined by Harry and a little later by the boy that had been introduced to them as Ron by his mother.

The three kids talked for a while and Fiona had to keep herself from scolding Harry when he bought more sweets than they could possibly eat. However, she knew that Harry would buy all that stuff anyway – just because he finally could. He had never been able to buy sweets before. Fiona had always been the one to share her sweets with him, because Dudley quite obviously wouldn't dream of doing something like that.

After a while, though. Fiona felt like the third wheel and decided to explore the train a little. "I'm stepping outside for a bit", she informed Harry, who barely nodded and went back to listening to Ron ranting about a sport called Quidditch, that was apparently played while riding broomsticks. She'd need a while to get used to stuff like this, for sure.

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><p><em>* the looking glass, so shiny and new *<em>

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><p>Suddenly, she found herself sitting on the floor, staring at a pair of legs in front of her.<p>

"Oh, sorry, I didn't pay attention to where I was going," said a voice and a hand appeared in front of her face.

When Fiona looked up, she recognised one of the twins she had met on the platform.

"I'm sorry, too. I didn't pay any attention, either," she murmured while grabbing the hand she was offered. When she was back on her feet, recognition crossed the face of the boy in front of her.

"You were with Harry Potter, weren't you?"

Fiona bit her bottom lip. Would it always be like this from now on? Would she only be known as the girl that tagged along Harry Potter?

"Yeah, that was me," she answered, looking down at her hands uncomfortably.

"Sorry about my brother, he can be a git. What's your name?"

_Here I am, a rabbit hearted girl  
>Frozen in the headlights<br>It seems I've made the final sacrifice_

Fiona nearly jumped when she heard the voice directly behind her. Sure enough, the other twin was standing there, looking at her curiously.

"Fiona. Fiona Dursley." She didn't bother to tell him her first name only to have to tell him not to call her that.

"Well, I'm Fred Weasley and the git you ran into is my brother George," he introduced himself, holding his hand out to her. Fiona didn't think twice and shook it.

"Why am I git?" George asked, looking at his brother expectantly.

"Because you didn't even bother with her name and just rambled something about Harry Potter. That's why."

"Oh, little Freddie remembered some manners … mum would be so proud!" George wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.

Fiona smiled a little at the twins' exchange. Why couldn't she get along like that with Dudley? Right, because she was the complete opposite of her brother, thank God.

"What are you doing here on your own, anyway, Fiona?" Fred asked, bringing her back to the present.

"Well, your brother Ron and my cousin Harry basically took each other hostage in the compartment we're sitting in and I started to feel like I was intruding. So I decided to explore a little," Fiona answered honestly, shrugging her shoulders lightly.

"Aw, looks like little Ronniekins found a friend already. Well, you can sit with us, if you want to," Fred said, opening the door to their compartment. Inside sat a dark skinned boy with dreadlocks who held a box.

Fiona remembered somebody shouting something about a tarantula back at the platform. Could it be that she stumbled upon the one compartment that held something she was afraid of?

_I must become a lion hearted girl  
>Ready for a fight<br>Before I make the final sacrifice_

"Only if you really don't mind", she said, looking from Fred to George who simply nodded in the direction of the compartment, signalling her to get inside.

"Come on in. I'm Lee, by the way," the boy waiting inside introduced himself.

"I'm Fiona," she replied, smiling at Lee as she entered the compartment, followed by the Weasleys who closed the door behind them. George took a seat next to Lee while Fred came to her side of the compartment.

Fiona pointed at the box in Lee's lap. "What's in there?" She asked, already dreading the answer.

"My tarantula. Do you wanna see it?" He said, already starting to lift the lid of the box.

"NO!" Fiona said, a little too loud. The boys looked at her curiously. "I mean … no, thanks. I'm … not that fond of spiders, you know. No offence."

Lee simply shrugged. "None taken."

George smirked at his brother and before Fiona could even start to think about what could be so funny, she felt something faintly brush her neck and jumped out of her seat, shrieking, sending all three boys into roaring laughter.

Fiona glared at Fred, who's hand was still in the place where her neck had been seconds ago. "Funny. Really funny, Fred," she stated, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Fred sobered up a little when he rose from his seat, but still snickered. "Come on, I was only joking!" He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her back to the bench they had set on before.

"Never, and I mean it when I say never, joke about spiders again. You hear me? You might wake up missing a limb if you do"; Fiona replied, still not over her initial shock.

Fred chuckled and put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, I got it. No jokes about spiders."

Fiona managed a small smile. "Good. Glad that I made myself clear."

After that first incident, the little group talked for the rest of the train ride, only splitting up to change into their robes. It became clear to Fiona that the Weasley twins were troublemakers of their very own kind – but she would lie if she said that she didn't like it. She was always up for a good laugh, after all. As long as it wasn't at her expense, that is.

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><p><strong>So, what do you think? Please let me know and press that little review button. You know you want to!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Rootless

**Hey everyone!**

**Glad you seemed to like the second chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**However, I'm still looking for a beta! So if you feel up to it – I'd be really grateful for someone to detect my mistakes (and I'm sure that there are some).**

**The song lyrics used in this chapter are from Amy Macdonald's "L.A." and Marina & The Diamonds' "Rootless"**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Rootless<strong>

"Dursley, Blossom!" The teacher who had introduced herself as Professor McGonagall called, making Fiona cringe slightly at her given name.

As a couple of students already did before her, she walked up to the stool and sat down to get the Sorting Hat placed on her head. It was too big and slid over her eyes so she couldn't see anything that was going on in the Great Hall.

Suddenly, she heard a voice inside her head.

"_Hm … a muggleborn, I see. Not that this would matter for sorting you. I see a lot of loyalty, you'd do good in Hufflepuff. But you're also quite clever, Ravenclaw would suit you just as well. There's the wish to prove yourself, to not be known only by relation but for your own achievements. Slytherin could help you get there."_

Fiona's eyes grew wide. She didn't want to be a Slytherin. From what she had heard, Slytherins were vicious people, doing everything to reach their goals … without a care what they had to do to get there. No, she really didn't want that. Fred, George and Lee had told her enough about these people that Fiona knew for sure that she did not want to be one of them.

"_However, above all, there is a brave heart beating inside your chest. Very courageous, indeed. I think it would be best to put you in GRYFFINDOR!"_

The Sorting Hat shouted the last word and the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers to welcome their newest member.

A huge smile crept upon Fiona's face as she practically skipped towards her house table, taking a seat next to Fred and George.

"So … Blossom, huh?" George snickered.

"Sod off. I can't stand that name. Only my parents call me that … and my git of a brother. It's Fiona." She explained.

"You just chose a name?" Fred asked, his eyebrows raised.

Fiona rolled her eyes. "No. Fiona's my second name. Which I happen to like a lot better than my first name."

Percy, who was apparently too preoccupied to pay attention to what she said, took it upon himself to welcome her to Gryffindor house, calling her Blossom as she did, making Fiona cringe again.

The girl chose to keep her mouth shut, but glared at the twins who laughed at their brother's mishap. She then looked back at the group of first years that still had to be sorted. She heard the Sorting Hat shout _"Slytherin"_ while it barely even touched Draco Malfoy's head.

"Fitting," she murmured. She hadn't even noticed a girl named Hermione Granger taking a seat across from her. Fiona still kept looking at the first years until her eyes met Harry's.

Her cousin was fidgeting, obviously nervous. What was he afraid of? Sit down, get a hat placed upon your head and be off after a few moments. No big deal, right? Was he afraid that the hat would put him in Slytherin? In her opinion, Harry had nothing to be afraid of. He wasn't cunning. Or vain. Fiona sent him a reassuring smile, trying to calm him down.

However, Harry only calmed down when he joined her at the Gryffindor table, smiling like a little kid on Christmas when the Weasley twins started chanting "We've got Potter!"

_I'm always told to be the dreamer kind  
>wake up one morning and your dreams are life<br>never let them bring me down  
>never let them tear me down<em>

"So, I guess you won't get rid of me any time soon, cousin dearest," Fiona said, grinning at her Harry while she slightly nudged him with her elbow.

"Cousin? You're related?" Hermione inquired from across the table.

"Well, obviously. I'd trade Harry for my brother any day, believe me," the ginger haired girl replied, her face taking on a solemn look when she thought about her twin.

Harry noticed the change in her attitude and grabbed her hand under the table, giving it a slight squeeze, making Fiona smile in the process.

"You won't have to worry about Dudley until the end of term," Harry said, giving her a reassuring grin.

He had wanted to punch his cousin for the way he had treated Fiona. Ever since the family found out that she was a witch, she had been an outcast and treated similarly to the way Harry was treated. And while her parents had just taken to avoid her like the plague, Dudley had taken it upon himself to make his sister's life miserable. He called her a freak every chance he got, shoved her out of the way every time he passed her. Harry even had to catch Fiona once when Dudley thought it was funny to push her down the stairs.

And Fiona? She kept it to herself and didn't tell her parents. She blamed it on her own clumsiness when she sported a new bruise. Harry had been mad and desperately wanted to do something to help Fiona, but he knew that there was nothing he could do.

"I know. It's just … ah, never mind," Fiona murmured, shaking her head slightly. This evening marked the start of a new life and she didn't want it to start by remembering what had been in the past.

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><p><em>* but there's still a long, long way to go *<em>

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><p>Time seemed to fly by at Hogwarts. Fiona found no other explanation. It felt like just yesterday when she was sorted into Gryffindor, and now she saw Professor Flitwick levitate ornaments onto a huge Christmas tree in the Great Hall. She couldn't believe that she had been here for nearly four months now.<p>

However, she didn't have time to think about it. The teachers apparently like to keep their students busy with work, most of all though Professor Snape, who's amount of homework made students moan in despair every so often.

Fiona didn't like him one bit. First of all, he was way too eager to take points from Gryffindor and give points to Slytherin. What bothered Fiona more, though, was the fact that he obviously had it in for Harry. She had defended her cousin more than once in Snape's classroom, bringing herself into a similar situation. However, Snape went uncharacteristically soft on her, which creeped Fiona out to no end.

Fred and George were no help, either. When she had told them about it, they thought it was funny to tell her that Snape obviously had a crush on her. Needless to say that Fiona had nightmares for a week after that. She had gotten her revenge on the twins, though.

With the help of Hermione, she had shrunken the twins' entire clothes to the point where they might have fit one of the ugly dolls her mother had always given her for her birthday. Hermione hadn't known why Fiona wanted to know that spell, though. She would have kept the ginger haired girl from going through with it, and that was not an option.

Hermione had loosened up quite a bit after the troll incident on Halloween. Ever since, the two girls had bonded and Fiona was thankful to share her dorm with another muggleborn girl who actually knew what she was talking about when she referred to something in the muggle world. The others just looked at her like she'd grown a second head most of the time.

Fiona was brought back to the present when two people plopped down on the bench next to her forcefully, catapulting her into the air a few inches in the process. She didn't even need to check who had decided to grace her with their presence.

"What can I do for you, gentlemen?" she asked, grinning.

"Why, my dear Fiona, would you think that we are here because we want anything?" George put his hand over his heart, acting hurt, which made Fiona roll her eyes. She had grown close with the twins over the months and shared several detentions with them because of her involvement in some of their pranks.

"Let me think … hm. Maybe … because I know you?"

Fred put his arm around her shoulders, shaking his head and sighing dramatically. "You have such a poor opinion of us. We just wanted to say hello to our favourite ginger haired girl."

Fiona raised her eyebrows when she turned to her right to look at Fred. "Your favourite ginger haired girl? Don't let your sister hear about that."

Fred shrugged. "We're not gonna tell her. And you aren't cruel enough to write to her about that."

"Are you sure about that?" She replied, grinning mischievously.

"Georgie, what have we done? We created a monster!" Fred exclaimed, making everyone around them laugh in the process.

_I'm a cloud drifting by, dripping tears from the sky  
>I'm a snail without a shell, a leper with a golden bell<br>I've got nowhere to go, I'm a stray cat on the roam  
>Choking on a chicken bone, for a home sweet, no sweet home<em>

"What we actually wanted to know was whether you were already packed up and ready to go home for Christmas," George finally fold Fiona the reason for their visit.

"I'm not … going home, I mean." She took a deep breath. Fiona had always been careful to avoid the subject of her family entirely or steer the boys away from the topic if it did come up. They either hadn't noticed her evasiveness or they were humouring her. Until now. She didn't see any way to get out of the conversation this time.

Fred and George first looked at each other, than back at Fiona. "Why not?" they asked at the same time.

"Could you guys not speak at the same time? It's creepy," Fiona said, a feeble attempt to change the subject.

"And could you not try to change the subject?" Fred replied, looking at her pointedly.

Fiona looked down at her hands, realising that she couldn't talk her way out of this. "My parents don't want me home. Neither me nor Harry. So we're staying here, simple as that." She shrugged, trying to make it seem like it didn't matter.

Once more, Fred and George exchanged looks, which unnerved Fiona. She hated their silent conversations, always feeling left out. Finally, George spoke up.

"Why don't they want you to come home?" He asked, gently.

"Because I'm a witch." She said it almost too quietly for the twins to make out. But they heard her and Fred's arm drew her closer to him in an attempt to hug the girl.

"Bloody muggles," George swore. He and his siblings were raised to have no prejudices against the non-magic folk, but this insanity was a good reason to change his mind. Fiona had started to grow on him like another little sister and seeing her hurt was simply not an option.

"Well, then we'll make sure that you'll have a Christmas you'll never forget," Fred stated, grinning down at her.

"It's not a big deal. You don't have to do anything," Fiona answered, looking first at George and then at Fred before shrugging his arm off.

George clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Ts, ts, ts … you know that you can't do a thing about it. So just accept this Christmas for what it will be."

"And what is that?" She asked. A tiny part of her was actually scared of the answer since the twins were not exactly known for subtlety.

"That, my dear Flower-girl, is for us to know and for you to find out," Fred replied instead of his brother, using the nickname he had given Fiona after finding out her first name at the sorting ceremony.

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><p><em>* Dragging my roots through the snow *<em>

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><p>"Where are you taking me?" Fiona asked for what felt like the hundredth time.<p>

The twins had snatched her away from the couch in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, blindfolded her and led her outside. However, she could only tell because the moment she stepped outside into the hallways, the temperature dropped several degrees. At the first staircase, she had been lifted up onto someone's back and told to hold on tight while – whoever it was – gave her a piggyback ride. Normally she would have laughed her head off, but not knowing where they were going spoiled the fun for her.

"Patience, Flower-girl, patience," Fred simply said.

A few minutes later, she heard the creak of a door and felt cold air hit her face. Why would they take her outside of the castle?

She felt hands around her waist as she was put back on the ground. As soon as she was standing on her own two feet again, she ripped the blindfold of. Fiona looked around and saw … nothing. She looked back at the twins, confused.

"What's going on?"

"We, my dear Fiona, are going to build some snowmen," George answered. She now realized that he held a bag in his hand.

"What's in there?" Knowing Fred and George, anything could be held inside that bag. Dungbombs were only the tip of the iceberg of possibilities.

This time, Fred spoke up. "Well, normal snowmen wouldn't be that exciting, right? We're just gonna give them a little extra. Like singing Christmas carols when someone passes them … or throwing insults if it's a Slytherin," he said, winking.

An hour later, Fiona was hiding behind a big mountain of snow and pressed her hands over her mouth to muffle her laughter as Pansy Parkinson screamed at the snowmen to shut up. They, however, kept insulting her. Parkinson finally ran off shrieking when the snowman Fiona had built started throwing snowballs at her. "Merry Christmas," she mumbled, still giggling.

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><p><strong>That's it for chapter 3. What did you think? Please let me know and <span>review!<span>**


	4. Chapter 4: Over & Over

**Hey everyone,**

**thank you all so much for the feedback! I really enjoy reading your thoughts on the story. Keep it coming!  
>I've got to repeat something I already wrote before the last chapter: I'm still looking for a beta! If you're interested, feel free to send me a message.<br>**

**But now, on with the story!  
><strong>

**The lyrics used in this chapter are from Iggy Pop's "Real Wild Child" and Sarah Blasko's "Over & Over"**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Over &amp; Over<strong>

_Dear Diary,_

_I know that I have not been a faithful writer and I'm sorry. But things … or rather, people have been keeping me really busy the last few months. _

_When I opened you, I read my last entry and it made me laugh. I was so worried that I would be alone here. However, that was completely stupid._

_Like I had already predicted, Harry didn't ditch me. He made friends for himself, which is great. I'm happy for him. I know that he always felt like he didn't belong with my family and though I did the best I could to prove him wrong … I know that Harry now feels like he belongs somewhere. And I'm glad things turned out like this._

_As for me … well, there's Hermione, a fellow muggleborn whom I share a dorm with. She can be a know-it-all sometimes, but she's nice enough. We've gotten along great ever since she toned it down a little. She has become pretty close with Harry, too. Alongside Ron Weasley. The biggest thing we have in common is our fear of spiders. What can I say? A common enemy can unite people._

_Well, and then there are Fred and George Weasley. Twins. Third years. And the biggest pranksters you could possibly imagine. But they're also very sweet when they want to be._

_I was pretty down when Christmas came around and the twins took it upon themselves to cheer me up. We built snowmen that insulted Slytherins when they passed by. With anyone else, they just sang Christmas carols. They went down to the kitchen and got cookies … I don't know how they did it, though, they wouldn't tell. They also enchanted a mistletoe that followed around the teachers … it was hilarious to watch when Professor Snape had to kiss Professor Trelawney of all people. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard that I had tears in my eyes._

_Christmas itself was spectacular, too. I didn't think that I would get any presents this year. With the way my parents behaved before I left and all. I did send them an owl though, wishing them Merry Christmas. It's the right thing to do, isn't it? Well, my mother sent me a new dress. It's a nice, dark red colour, made of wool. _

_And I got a sweater from Mrs. Weasley! Apparently, Fred and George mentioned me in their letters to their mother (they claim that their mother would send them a howler every second week if they didn't write to her) and so she knitted me a sweater. Harry got one, as well. I still hear Ron moaning "Oh no, you've got a Weasley jumper, too!" when he saw my package. To be honest: I love it. It's a little too big and it might not be completely perfect, but … that's what makes it special. It's handmade, not bought at some store after a couple minutes of wondering which would suit me best. There's work put into that sweater. Which is why I fully intend to wear it. _

_The Christmas feast was also amazing. I think I've never eaten so much in my life. Well, how could I? Normally, Dudley stuffs all the food in his face. Anyway, it was funny enough to watch the teachers getting tipsy and Professor McGonagall blushing when Hagrid kissed her cheek. Somebody should have taken a picture! That would have been great._

_Well, after Christmas, things have slowed down a bit. Apart from the occasional pranks that land me in detention with Fred and George, I've been pretty busy with homework. And I don't see that change until the end of term, either. Blimey. Well, I have to go now. We turned Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, bright green this morning in honour of St. Patrick's Day, but Filch didn't seem to appreciate the thought. Let's see what he can come up with to punish us._

She snapped her diary shut and stuffed it away in her trunk that she kept under the bed, making sure no one saw her while doing so. She didn't need anyone reading what she wrote down in there.

Fiona slipped her shoes back on and went down to the common room, where she was supposed to meet up with Fred and George. On the way down, Hermione stopped her.

"Where are you going? It's only an hour until curfew."

"I've got detention with Filch," she explained.

"You turned Mrs. Norris green?" Hermione asked, her eyes widening.

Fiona grinned and shrugged slightly. "The twins and I. Hey, it's St. Patrick's Day, the entire school's green … Mrs. Norris had to fit into the picture!"

"Those two are seriously a bad influence on you, you know that, right?"

"Says the girl who told my cousin to go into the restricted section for some research," Fiona replied and laughed when she heard Hermione gasp. "What? Harry and I talk, you know."

_Gonna meet all my friends  
>Gonna have ourselves a ball<br>Gonna tell my friends  
>Gonna tell them all<br>That I'm a wild one  
>Oh yeah, I'm a wild one <em>

"Fiona, hurry up, we don't want to be late for our date with Filch!" George shouted from the common room, making the ginger haired girl roll her eyes.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, I'm on my way!" She answered, just as loud, making Hermione wince. "Sorry," she said, smiling apologetically. "Well, I have to go. Can't let Filch wait," she added.

Hermione nodded. "See you later. And please, don't get in even more trouble. Or lose any more points."

Fiona chuckled. "I'll try, but I can't promise you that. I'm gonna be in detention with Fred and George, after all." She heard Hermione smile as she walked downstairs were the Weasley-twins were already waiting impatiently for her. They literally dragged her out of the common room and in the direction of the caretaker's office.

"Oh, slow down a bit, won't you? Why are you so anxious to see Filch anyway?" She asked. Fiona nearly had to run to keep up with their pace, cursing the fact that she was one of the shortest kids in her year once again.

"There are still some of our dungbombs in his office from the last time we got caught. We want them back," George explained, not slowing down.

"Naturally," Fiona muttered. She nearly ran into Fred's back when he suddenly stopped. She hadn't realized that they already reached their destination. She heard the twins chuckle and rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up, seriously."

Filch chose that moment to open the door of his office. "At least you're on time," he muttered before looking at them, a nasty grin on his face. Fiona didn't like it one bit. This could only mean something barely legal or something incredibly disgusting would be their punishment. "You'll be cleaning the toilets down in the dungeons. Without magic."

Fiona's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. This was the worst detention ever, she was sure about that. Could Filch even make them do that? Judging from the look on his face, he could. She cursed him mentally and prayed for Peeves to pull a prank that would distract Filch enough so he'd have to let them go. One could hope, right?

* * *

><p><em>* in a world gone crazy everything seems hazy<em> *

* * *

><p>"That was the most disgusting thing ever," Fiona whined as she slumped down on the couch in the Gryffindor common room. She closed her eyes and shook her head, wanting to ban the detention she had just served from her memory. Her eyes flew open and she squealed when she felt herself being picked up. Fred and George sat down, putting Fiona down in the process. Her head now lay on George's thighs while her feet lay in Fred's lap.<p>

"You could've asked me to move, you know?" She said, rolling her eyes at them.

"Nah, too lazy," George replied, grinning down at her.

"Guess you'll have to get your dungbombs back another time, hm?" Fiona suddenly remembered.

"Yeah … well, don't worry about it, we'll find a way to get them," he said, the tone in his voice suggesting that there was more to them getting their belongings back than he let on.

"Do I even want to know?"

"Probably not." George shook his head slightly, grinning at Fiona mischievously.

Suddenly, a loud snoring sound interrupted them. Fiona glanced at Fred and started laughing when she saw him, eyes closed, his head tilted back and his mouth wide open.

"You should get your brother to your dorm," she stated, looking back at George who was also laughing.

"You think so?"

Fiona got up from the couch and stretched. "Yeah, I think so. And I'm heading upstairs now, too. I don't want to share Fred's fate and be mocked relentlessly for falling asleep in the common room."

George chuckled. "You're gonna mock him?"

The ginger haired girl rolled her eyes. "Of course. How could I not?"

* * *

><p><em>* So break the rules, it'll all make sense if you mean it *<em>

* * *

><p>For Fiona, the remainder of the school year was pretty uneventful. Not that she was happy about it. In fact, Fiona was livid when she heard what Harry, Hermione and Ron had done. Why didn't they tell her? She would have helped them, which is what she told Harry when she was finally allowed to visit him in the hospital wing.<p>

"That's exactly why I didn't tell you! I didn't want to put you in danger!"

Fiona paced in front of Harry, who looked at her warily. He had never seen her this mad before. Or at least not at him. Usually, Dudley was at the receiving end of Fiona's temper, much to Harry's amusement. Harry didn't like to be in his spot – not a single bit.

"That's nonsense and you know it! You were in danger, Hermione and Ron were, too! So don't give me that sad excuse! Don't you trust me anymore, Harry? Did you think that I'd run to McGonagall and tell her as soon as I knew what you were up to?" Fiona was hurt, there was no use denying it. She wasn't particularly keen on putting herself in danger, but she felt left out all the same.

"Of course I trust you! Fiona, you're like my sister. I just wanted to know that you were safe in case something bad happened!" Harry silently prayed that she would understand. For him, she was the only one who really deserved the term family – and there was no way that he would ever put her in danger if he could do anything about it.

Fiona shook her head. She was too mad right now to appreciate the reasoning behind Harry's actions. "You still should have told me."

It wasn't more than a whisper, but the words cut Harry like a knife. It didn't help that Fiona didn't give him time to answer but fled the hospital wing as soon as the words had left her mouth.

_Words they don't mean much  
>Without some action<br>And they just don't hold up  
>Without compassion<em>

Fiona kept it together until she was back in the Gryffindor common room. The room was deserted and after the girl glanced at the big clock next to the fireplace, she realized that it was dinner time. She didn't mind to be alone at all and collapsed on the couch, tears streaming down her face.

Merlin knows what could have happened to Harry when he confronted Quirrell. He could have died! And she wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. To keep him safe. Why was he allowed to protect her but not vice versa? It wasn't fair.

She felt the couch move on her left side as someone set down next to her. When she looked over her shoulder, she realized that it was George.

"What's wrong?" He asked, not bothering with small talk.

"Harry." Fiona sniffed and looked down at her hands.

"What'd he do?"

"He's … God, he's so … argh!" Her anger resurfaced and kept Fiona from finishing her sentence. She took a deep breath to calm herself down a little, her hands fidgeting in her lap. "He could have died, George. He could have died and I wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. And why? Because he didn't tell me what he, Hermione and Ron were up to!"

The tears started running down her face again as the 'what ifs' started playing in her head again. George put his arm around her shoulders comfortingly. Fiona put her head on his shoulder, leaning into him. She really needed a hug right now.

"Wanna know why he apparently didn't tell me?" Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. She felt George nod.

"Because he wanted to protect me. That's the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard! I don't need him to make choices for me. I … I need him to trust me, to tell me things. That's the way things always were before we came here. And now I feel like I'm losing him, George. I can't lose him, he's more like my brother than Dudley ..." her voice broke and she sniffed again.

"Fiona, he trusts you. He just didn't want to put you in danger. I would've made the same choice if I had been in his shoes. I wouldn't have told Ginny. Or you, for that matter."

Fiona looked up, confused. Why was he comparing her to his little sister? "What? Ginny, I get, she's your little sister, but me? You're not making any sense right now."

George grinned at her, knowing that his attempt to change topics had been successful. Besides, the girl needed a little solace.

"I beg to differ, Miss Dursley," he said in a poor attempt to imitate Professor McGonagall, which brought a small smile to Fiona's face. "In case you haven't noticed, we spent the better part of the school year together, pranking the dragon dung out of everyone. You're my honorary little sister, so to speak."

Satisfied, George watched as the words slowly sunk in and a big smile spread across Fiona's face. Obviously, mission _cheer Fiona up_ had been accomplished.

He didn't lie, either. He and Fred had become very attached to Fiona and had taken her under their wings when it came to playing pranks after she had shown great talent in the field. And even if they were not related in any way, the twins felt protective of the girl that shared their hair colour.

"You're not just saying this to cheer me up, are you?" Fiona asked, tentatively.

George shook his head. "Of course not. Now come on, sulking doesn't suit you. Besides, Fred is waiting for us in the kitchens. We want to bribe the house-elves to turn the Slytherin's food red and golden." He got up and held his hand out to Fiona.

She took the offered hand without hesitating. Bribing the house-elves was just what the doctor ordered.

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><p><strong>That's it for chapter four. Please review!<strong>


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